Shafaqna India:Kot Kapura, once a part of PEPSU (1948-1956), and hence called KKP, sits amidst the Malwa’s “Brar belt”, and has been a witness to many events and controversies happening around its neighbourhood.
However, most of the Punjabis know this city because of its famous dhodha sweet and atta chicken. Those growing up here during 1980s would fondly remember Qile (fort) wala school, vadda (big) school, kurian (girls) wala school, and of course the police station in the main chowk just opposite the vadda school. Local fraudsters and pick pockets were often thrashed openly by cops at the police station, which was enough to terrorise the school-going children and local passersby.
One of centre places of Kot Kapura was a railway crossing. Due to its proximity to Indian Oil depot, it was frequently closed, causing problems for the natives. Singer Didar Sandhu sang about this pain of KKP dwellers in his song, “Hun bandh paya darwaza jaun fatak Kot Kapure da”. That fatak (crossing) is gone now after the construction of a flyover. Most of other old buildings are also mostly gone or have been modified as and when desired by the powers that be.
One of the speciality of KKP citizens, especially local barbers or nai as they were called, was that they would flaunt their connections to the powerful by displaying their photographs with them. Many Punjabi stalwart leaders like former President Giani Jail Singh and the present speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Kultar Singh Sandhwan come from Sandhwan village in Kot Kapura Tehsil. the place, in fact, broke and decided the fate of many political stalwarts. KKP may be a fringe city but it has created some ripples across Punjab’s political landscape many times.
